New Research in Practice resources to support evidence-informed practice

03 August 2017

Research in Practice has published new resources focusing on:

Working effectively with men in families.

Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Working to the Public Law Outline.

Comparing placement options to meet children and young people’s needs.

A Mapping Resource (PDF) provides details of each new release, along with information on a selection of related publications from the Research in Practice back catalogue. Use this quick guide to identify what the resources cover, who they’re for, and what other materials are available on the same topics to support workforce learning.

This briefing sets out key messages from an evidence review commissioned and published by the Department for Education in March 2017, which aimed to provide judicial and local authority decision-makers with an independent summary of relevant research evidence that focuses on comparative outcomes of different placement options.

The review brought together an accessible summary of key research findings on two themes:

The impacts of abuse and neglect on children.

The strengths and weaknesses of different types of long-term placements in relation to their impact on children.

This briefing focuses on the second of these themes to help leaders and decision-makers think about how they can influence and organise local policy development and services to meet the current and future needs of children and young people.

Who’s it for: Local authority strategic leaders and decision-makers, though it will also be of interest to frontline managers and their staff in local authority Children’s Services.

This learning resources map has been developed to support professionals working with families, legal teams and in the family court. The map is primarily aimed at those preparing and presenting evidence for court, and focuses on robust pre-proceedings work and the quality of written evidence including assessment and care planning.

The quality of court work has been the focus of the Family Justice Review, Knowledge and Skills Statement and other policy initiatives and has been highlighted as an important contributor to achieve the 26-week target for care cases and the best outcomes for children.

Existing Research in Practice resources are highlighted within the resource to help professionals develop analytical skills and use research effectively to support decision-making.

Who’s it for: Children’s guardians, lawyers acting for the local authority, IROs, case progression managers, social work managers, social workers preparing and presenting evidence in court.

Exposure to alcohol before birth can lead to development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs), the most important preventable cause of brain damage in children. Effects range from disabilities to damage which increases the risk of violent and criminal behaviour in later life. Many children, including those in care, are given multiple inaccurate diagnoses.

There is an urgent need to recognise prenatal alcohol exposure at an early stage and to develop pathways for diagnosis, assessment and support. This briefing introduces practitioners working with children and families to key research and practice surrounding FASDs, including:

What constitutes a dangerous level of alcohol intake during pregnancy.

The impact on the fetus, child and family at different stages of development.

How to identify and respond to FASDs, including appropriate referral.

Guidance on prevention and management.

Who’s it for: Early help, targeted support and statutory services with children and families.

This briefing focuses on including and working with fathers where children’s welfare or safety is a concern, and the practice issues raised by domestic abuse.

In particular, it reflects on practice messages from research in relation to three inter-related areas:

Early intervention

Family support

Child protection

The briefing should be read alongside the accompanying Frontline Tool – Working effectively with men in families – practice pointers for including fathers in children’s social care – where suggestions for practice are set out more extensively.

Who’s it for: Child and family social workers and their frontline managers.

‘Fathers in child protection are rarely either “all bad” or “all good”. Fathers are important to children, and (like mothers) most present a combination of positive and negative factors. Men and social workers need to recognise and work with this so that, wherever possible, children can stay safe and be involved with their fathers.’ (Brandon et al, 2017)

This tool sets out key practice pointers to help include fathers in children’s social care and should be read alongside the accompanying Frontline Briefing, Working effectively with men in families – including fathers in children’s social care.

Who’s it for: Child and family social workers and their frontline managers.